Hundreds of billions of blood cells have to be replenished everyday. Cytokines and cytokine receptors play important roles in blood cell formation, a process known as hematopoiesis. The amplitude and duration of cytokine receptor signaling is a highly regulated process that is crucial for cytokine- governed hematopoiesis. Dysregulation of these complex signaling networks can predispose to myeloproliferative diseases and myeloid leukemia.

1. Elucidating molecular mechanisms of Lnk regulatory functions in cytokine receptor signaling
2. Understanding both normal and oncogenic cytokine receptor signaling processes that control hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell numbers and development in vivo
3. Undertaking studies to identify novel signaling components in the receptor/JAK2 signaling complex that lead to oncogenic transformation, as JAK2 is the central kinase governing many cytokine receptor signaling, and has been found mutated in some patients with myeloproliferative diseases.